Yamaha is no newcomer to the naked or semi-faired all-rounder market. In fact, as far as the 'XJ' family goes, the XJ600 first hit the streets way back in 1984. Today the naked FZ6N and semi-faired FZ6S have been around since 2004, but those two models are now joined by the XJ6N and XJ6S - those model names again denoting naked and semi-faired versions of what is basically the same machine. In essence, Yamaha believes there are relative newcomers to motorcycling out there who want a slightly tamer alternative to the current crop of middleweight all-rounders.

Honda in fact went down this path a few years ago, launching the detuned CBF600 to run alongside its full biscuit CB600F Hornet - not that the CBF600 ever made it Down Under. Now Yamaha is taking the same tack, with its new XJ6 models packing a detuned version of the engine found in the FZ6 models, along with some other engine mods. The XJ6 sports a different chassis too, while its steering geometry is a touch more conservative.

Although experienced riders of large capacity machines may baulk at the notion of Yamaha's FZ6s being too powerful, it's worth bearing in mind here these bikes are powered by a detuned version of an engine that traces its lineage to the marque's razor-sharp YZF-R6 supersport family, and in FZ6 form is still something of a top-end screamer. So, in a sense, the XJ6 engine is a detuned version of a detuned version of the original R6 powerplant.

In short, the XJ6s are an even easier-to-ride alternative to the FZ6s. They're aimed at those biking newcomers looking for a stepping stone between a small capacity machine and the broader spectrum of full-power bikes, although they'll serve as perfectly good commuters too, for those who aren't obsessed with power and torque.